


Normal

by merlins_sister



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-30
Updated: 2011-10-30
Packaged: 2017-10-25 02:26:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/270707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlins_sister/pseuds/merlins_sister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What is normality?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Normal

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: Season 3 up to Echoes, especially The Return Parts 1 and 2.

John scanned the mess hall for a vacant seat. With the expedition now back to its pre-Replicator numbers, lunch had once again reached its normal chaos, and become every man for himself and a chair. It was something that John found strangely comforting amongst all the changes on Atlantis since their return. Catching sight of a spot at the back as some of the scientists left a table, he rushed over. The remaining occupant sat with her back to him, her long red hair hanging down in slight curls. Another new face, he surmised, as he braced himself to be the charming military leader.

"Hey, do you mind if I join you?" John asked as he slipped passed her.

"Of course not, Colonel," she replied, smiling up at him as he reached the other side of the table.

"Hey, Doc," John responded in surprise. "I didn't recognise you."

"Amazing what a bit of hair dye can do," Kate replied with another smile before taking a sip of coffee.

John returned the smile, relaxing into his seat at the sight of a familiar face. "Welcome back."

"Thank you," Kate replied. "It's only been a few days, but it already feels like I've never been away."

"I know what you mean," John replied. "I swear, if I hear McKay and Zelenka argue once more about power differentials I think I will officially declare the whole move back to Earth a dream and be done with it."

Kate laughed. "It certainly seems like nothing's changed."

John nodded as he started to work on his lunch. "Yeah, everything seems to be getting slowly back to how it used to be." He stopped as he glanced at someone walking passed, feeling unsettled again for the umpteenth time since they'd retaken control. "Except..."

"Except?" Kate asked when he didn't continue, her question punctuated by another sip of coffee.

John glanced at the psychologist as he considered dismissing his comment. There was no reason for him to feel this way. He was career military for God's sake, and had always prided himself on his ability to go with the constant moves and upheavals that brought. To feel so unsettled now... it didn't make sense.

He looked at Kate again, and saw the question still on her face. If there was one person he could talk to about this, it was her.

"Except it isn't quite normal." He leant forward, feeling some relief when Kate mirrored his move. "There are so many new things here," he said softly. "New teams of scientists, marines on rotation, new systems... " He trailed off as he wondered again if there was any sense in what he was feeling. "It's just that I came back to protect my home... to get back what I'd been forced to give up. To get back to 'normal'. I just didn't expect it to change in the process." He shook his head again, though he wasn't sure if it was at his willingness to confide all of this, or at the fact a career in the military hadn't prepared him for it. After a moment he said. "I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't mean to dump this on you at lunch."

"You know I never mind you talking to me," Kate replied softly. She took another sip of coffee before asking, "Do you want to know why I dyed my hair?"

John knew that his confusion at the apparent change in topic was obvious on his face. "Girlie pamper day?" he ventured.

"Good guess," Kate replied with a grin. "But not quite." Her voice was soft again as she continued, "We had to leave so suddenly that it wasn't until I'd been on Earth for a while that I took in what had happened. That I'd been forced to leave where I considered home. We'd all been scattered to the four winds and I suddenly had to deal with the end of all these relationships." She paused as she took a sip of coffee. "So, I did what most women do when a relationship ends... I changed my hair."

"To red?"

"Actually I went as dark as I could. If Atlantis Kate was blonde then Earth-bound Kate would be as dark as I could get away with."

John looked at her with curiosity. "Did it help?"

Kate pondered the question for a moment before replying, "At the time I thought it did, but when I got word that I could return here... the relief I felt... well, let's just say it made me realise how far away from accepting what had happened I was."

John considered this before asking, "So, if Atlantis Kate was blonde, Earth Kate was brunette, why are you red now?"

"Because you can't leap from dark to blonde without ruining your hair, Colonel. Didn't they teach you that in the Air Force?" Kate asked in mock amazement.

"Strangely I think I may have missed that lecture," John replied with a grin.

"I may stay red for a while," Kate said, as if only considering the issue for the first time. She looked into her coffee cup. "As you said, things have changed."

"I like you blonde," John said before his eyes widened slightly at his comment. "Not that you don't look lovely now," he added quickly.

Kate laughed away his obvious panic at the possible insult. "But maybe me being blonde would make things seem more normal?" she asked, the twinkle in her eye not masking her understanding.

"Maybe a little," John conceded after a few moments.

Kate considered this before replying, "Things will move on to a new 'normal', Colonel."

"I know," John replied with a sigh. "I don't know why I'm so unsettled."

Kate looked like she was about to say something but instead she leant forward and rested her hand on his. He took a deep breath at the unexpected sense of comfort it gave him, before realising the answer Kate had given to his questions by this simple act and her tales of changing hair colours. Atlantis hadn't changed. He had. He had a family now, a sense of belonging, and that meant he had started to need something more than he had before in other barracks and bases. He wasn't ready to start over again with all the new faces, and he missed those that had yet to return. It was the relationships that mattered.

He felt Kate's gaze on him, a question of his understanding asked in the tilt of her head. He took her hand in his and squeezed it. Kate smiled at his response before gently reassuring, "Give yourself a little longer, John. It will get easier dealing with all of the changes."

After a few moments John reluctantly released Kate's hand, and busied himself with his lunch, grateful that Kate felt no need to fill the silence until she asked, "You okay?"

He nodded. "Just a little surprised at the stuff we've been talking about."

"Well, discussing hair dyeing can do that to a man," Kate replied lightly, the warmth in her eyes telling him everything else. Seemingly satisfied that they had talked enough she stood up. "You have surprised *me* a little about one thing though."

"Really?"

"Mmm," Kate leant forward slightly as she said, "I always heard you had a thing for brunettes."

John laughed. "Oh yes, brunettes are good. Redheads though... serious trouble in my experience."

Kate put her head to one side as she considered this. "Maybe I *will* stay red for a while then," she replied before patting him gently on the arm and turning to walk away.

As she moved away John called out, "Kate... "

She turned back, and he softened his voice as he said, "Welcome home."

Her smile spread. "Thank you. You too."


End file.
